Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum: Not Just A Building: An Experience. Introduction. How the Bilbao Guggenheim came to be. If ever the fortunes/ public image of a city can be said to have changed dramatically for the better thanks to one building, it would be hard to find a better example than the impact of the spectacular [...] The post Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum: Not Just A Building. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo 1617-82. A Brief Comparison with Velázquez and Zurbarán. Murillo’s art is indelibly linked to Seville, the city where he lived and died and which was, with Madrid, the primary centre of artistic activity in the country. Predictably, Murillo’s paintings are often compared with those of contemporaries associated with the city, whether born [...] The post Bartolomé Esteban Murillo 1617-82. A Brief Comparison with Velázquez and Zurbarán. first appeared on Spain...| Spain Then and Now
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo 1617-82. Of all the painters of Spain’s Golden Age (approx. 1500-1700), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo is the one most closely associated with Seville, Spain’s largest and most dynamic city for much of that period, and gateway to the Americas (commonly known as Las Indias). Murillo was born in Seville in December 1617 and [...] The post Bartolomé Murillo 1617-1682. His Life and Art in Seville. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Spain. Climate Change, Drought, Heatwaves and Solutions. Climate of Spain. As a country whose peninsula land mass stretches from the Pyrenees mountains in the north to within 15 kilometres (9 miles) of the coast of Morocco in the south, Spain enjoys a climate that is both European and Mediterranean. Along the north coast from Galicia [...] The post Spain. Climate Change, Drought, Heatwaves and Solutions. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Zurbarán. Christ on the Cross 1627. Temptation of St. Jerome 1657. Although from an agricultural village in Extremadura and of modest means, Zurbarán overcame his provincial background and social inferiority to become the leading painter in Seville, Spain’s most vibrant and wealthiest city for much of the 17th century and –with the capital, Madrid— the [...] The post Zurbarán. Christ on the Cross. Temptation of St. Jerome. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Zurbaran’s Life 1598-1664. When asked to name some great Spanish painters, Francisco de Zurbarán may not come immediately to mind to the casual art lover. Nevertheless, he figures prominently in that celebrated group of Spanish Golden Age artists who flowered in the 17th century, including Diego de Velázquez (1598-1660), Jusepe de Ribera (1590-1652), and Bartolomé [...] The post Zurbarán 1598-1664. Brief Biography and Review of his Art. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Camino de Santiago. Decline in the 14th-15th Centuries. Pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela boomed from the 11th to the mid-14th century, with the Camino francés (French Road/Way) being especially popular. However, political, social and religious events from roughly the second half of the 14th century combined to push Santiago, and pilgrimages in general, increasingly into [...] The post Camino de Santiago. Decline and Rebirth. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
The Camino de Santiago. Birth and Popularity. The Camino de Santiago is a term that refers almost exclusively to a specific route that was the most popular from medieval days to now: the Camino francés: the French Road. Although there were in fact several caminos, none had the impact or influence of the Camino francés. [...] The post Camino de Santiago. Birth, Rise and Popularity. 9th to 14th Centuries. first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Camino de Santiago. Why Santiago de Compostela? Why St. James? That the obscure, medieval settlement of Santiago de Compostela should become the third most important destination for Christian pilgrims in the Middle Ages (after Jerusalem and Rome) is a mystery. Pilgrims headed there to pray at the resting place of the apostle St. James the [...] The post Camino de Santiago. Why Santiago de Compostela? Why St. James? first appeared on Spain Then and Now.| Spain Then and Now
Born in Córdoba to a noble family, Góngora was known as an aficionado of card playing and bullfighting from his early years. He ended up being a priest!| Spain Then and Now
Sancho Panza is unlike any squire before him. Fat and initially not too bright, he turns out to be shrewd, perceptive and a loyal friend/ servant to Don Quixote| Spain Then and Now
It's time to reassess Don Quixote as a hero who fights for his ideals against all odds. He is a fundamentalist who wants to impose his views on the world.| Spain Then and Now
Don Quixote is a heroic figure for many nowadays, a dreamer who remains faithful to his noble goals. Why then do some consider him a fool? Can he be both?| Spain Then and Now
Amadis of Gaul. Each of the four books shows Amadis (a medieval James Bond!) in a different light, and emphasises his superiority over other knights-errant.| Spain Then and Now
What do you know of the consequences of the mass conversion of Jews to Christianity in the late 14th and early 15th centuries? Conversos mean anything?| Spain Then and Now
What do you know about Romances or novels of chivalry? What are the characteristics of a knight-errant's life and adventures? Why is love so important?| Spain Then and Now
Don Quixote, the most famous failure in literature! How is this so and what does the knight-errant, Amadis of Gaul, have to do with it.?| Spain Then and Now
Who was Fernando de Rojas, the accepted author of La Celestina? Did he write a drama or a dialogued novel? And where did he set the action?| Spain Then and Now
La Celestina, a tale of two star-crossed lovers, Calisto and Melibea, or a parody of the courtly lover of the sentimental romances? See for yourself.| Spain Then and Now
A summary of the important innovations introduced by Garcilaso (and his friend Boscan) to Spanish poetry from Italy. Verse forms. metre, imagery and ideas.| Spain Then and Now
Spain's Golden Age literature is remarkable for its quality and innovations What do you know of the poetry, drama and prose fiction of the period?| Spain Then and Now
La Celestina is a masterpiece of writing. Read the summary here and a brief history of the text and the title changes.| Spain Then and Now
San Juan de la Cruz's Noche oscura (Dark night) is one of the best known mystical poems in any language. How does he capture the mystical union of soul and God?| Spain Then and Now
Survey of Fray Luis's life. His works in Spanish. Importance of spreading the Bible's message to ordinary people.. Intellectual curiosity. Defence of Spanish.| Spain Then and Now
The ballad/ romance is the verse form that best captures the Spanish poetic tradition, and constitutes one of the richest ballad traditions in Europe.| Spain Then and Now